Medan's 'Pocong' Light Considered Bobby Nasution Project Failed, Asking For IDR 21 Billion To Be Returned

The landscape arrangement project and the installation of street lights in Medan, North Sumatra. (ANTARA/HO-Diskominfo Medan City)

The Mayor of Medan, North Sumatra, Bobby Nasution emphasized that the road light project, which is familiarly called the "pocong" light in 2022, totaling Rp. 25.7 billion, is considered a failed project.

"We will bill back all the Medan City APBD budgets that have been issued for this street light project," said Bobby in Medan as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 9.

His party said that this failure was suspected to have been negligent in planning, so that the landscape arrangement project and installation of street lights were around 1,700 units that did not match the initial plan.

The mayor asked the Medan City Water Resources and Construction Agency (SDABMBK) to carry out a thorough collection of the project.

Bobby said that the total budget for the work on this street lamp project was around Rp. 25.7 billion, of which Rp. 21 billion had been paid to third parties.

"So the Rp21 billion budget must be returned because this project is based on the results of a thorough examination of 'total loss', starting from material or distance between lights not according to specifications," he said.

The mayor also explained that it was the third party or contractor billed by the Medan City SDABMBK Office that had to return the budget.

Meanwhile, those who dismantled the street lights were the owners of the street lights, because this street light project had not yet been submitted to the Medan City Government.

"So please dismantle it yourself, because there is material in it. Later, if we dismantle it, it is said to take it too. The iron is there, the cement and the shape are like 'pocong', please take it," he said.

For the sanctions, said Bobby, because this street light project was carried out by the Sanitation and Parks Service, it has now been merged into the Medan City SDABMBK Service, of course it is responsible for ASN in the organization.

"Starting today, an Ad Hoc team will be formed to see the negligence of ASN in the previous service (Cleanliness and Parks Service) in charge of this road light installation project," said the Mayor of Medan.

Head of the Medan City SDABMBK Office, Topan OP Ginting, added that the road light project is considered to have failed on eight roads, it is not certain that it will be tendered again.

The eight roads in Medan City, namely Jalan Gatot Subroto, Jalan Sudirman, Jalan T Imam Bonjol, Jalam Putri Hijau, Jalan Katamso, Jalan Juanda, Jalan Suprapto, and Jalan Diponegoro.

"What is certain is that in accordance with the LHP (report of the results of the examination) received from the Medan City Inspectorate, the SDABMBK Service wrote to all contractors who had implemented it," he explained.

His party also said that they would immediately discuss with the inspectorate to find out the applicable provisions for how long the money was returned by the "pocong" light contractor.

"In the collection, we will cooperate with the Medan District Attorney as a state attorney," said Topan.